Thursday, October 27, 2011

It’s not
unheard of for coaches to coach at least one of their children. Marist School’s
Mike Trapani coached his daughter in softball and his son in baseball. Our Lady
of Mercy’s Tony Caruso also coached his son in basketball.

However, for the last three seasons, Bill Schmitz, athletic
director and head volleyball coach at Our Lady of Mercy School, Fayetteville,
has coached his two eldest children, Olivia, 18, and Mary Katherine, 16, in the
same sport at the same time. Olivia is the team’s senior outside hitter and
Mary Katherine is a junior setter.

“It’s been
both challenging and extremely rewarding. My daughters and I are
very close, but it is very tough on them since they are virtually with their
dad all of the time. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I will cherish our
time together for years to come,” said Schmitz. He said the best thing about
coaching his daughters is he can be a part of their lives, but the toughest
part is the feeling that the three of them are under a magnifying glass.

For Olivia
and Mary Katherine the hardest part about being coached by dad is the
occasional frustration and tension with each other that can arise during games,
but in the end they always get through it and they stick together. “The best
thing is my dad comes to every game, so his support is always there,” said
Olivia.

As a coach
and a dad Schmitz is proud of his daughters’ accomplishments. Olivia is ranked
number one in the state in kills for all classifications and she is ranked 13
in the nation for the same category. Mary Katherine is ranked number one in the
state in aces and holds a number five ranking in the nation.

This year
Our Lady of Mercy’s volleyball team made it to the Sweet 16 of the state
tournament. Unfortunately for Schmitz and his squad, they were eliminated by
Greater Atlanta Christian School, a very good team competing in this Saturday’s
state championship game.

This is
Olivia’s last season on the court with her team, her sister and her coach as
she prepares to head off for college. Olivia
said she’ll miss her biggest supporter. “Although he is my coach, he has never
made me feel like I've let him down or disappointed him, even if I miss a serve
or need coaching. I can tell that he is always proud of me, even if I'm playing
horribly,” said Olivia.

Both
siblings said they have learned valuable life lessons from their coach and dad
during these years of volleyball together. Olivia said he's taught her not to
take life too seriously. “I'm a very focused and determined person and
sometimes I miss out on things, because I let my passion for the sport get in
the way of being a good teammate or a good leader. He is always reminding me to
just breathe and let things be.”

Mary
Katherine, who returns for one more season under her dad, said the greatest
lesion she has learned is perseverance. “He has shown me that even when things
get hard I have to push through it and he’s always got my back. This lesson has
carried over into my faith as well as academics.”

Michael Alexander, Staff Photographer

See
the volleyball report in the Oct. 27 issue of
The Georgia Bulletin.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Earlier
this month I covered the dedication of Pinecrest Academy’s new John Paul II
Lower School Activities Building. During the ribbon cutting ceremony,
sandwiched between the Lower School principal and the construction company’s
project manager was a woman named My Thi Huynh. To my surprise she was listed
in the press release as “the teacher who has taught in the Lower School the
longest.”

I met My
Thi and her husband, Deacon Hung Viet, for the first time back in 1998. I was covering
the annual Eucharistic celebration of Our Lady of LaVang at Riverdale’s Our
Lady of Vietnam Church. Even though it was not her official role, My Thi was
like the parish ambassador, and she made me feel very welcome during that initial
visit to the parish.

In
August of 1998 Pinecrest Academy broke ground on what began as its 53-acre Cumming
location. I was there as Archbishop emeritus John F. Donoghue presided over the
ceremony to turn over the dirt, mixed with Georgia red clay, marking the
beginning of its Forsyth County existence. Today it has grown into a sprawling
campus with 15 buildings, two gymnasiums and three athletic fields.

Through it all My Thi has been a part of the Pinecrest Academy
growth and expansion. Initially she served as a parent volunteer when her
youngest son John attended the school. In 1997 she became a teacher’s assistant
at the Lower School. My Thi said it’s a wonderful opportunity to work with the
young children at Pinecrest Academy. “It’s like a family at Pinecrest and
there’s a love expressed by all at the school,” said My Thi. Before the
students arrive, the teachers come together in the hallway each morning to pray
that the Lord will show them the way to help and guide each child through the day.

My Thi came to the United States from Vietnam in 1975. She is
the seventh of 10 children. My Thi and her husband were married at St. Margaret
of Scotland Church, Morristown, N.J., in 1978. In addition to John, they are
parents to Peter, 30, and Jason, 29. Both young men are seminarians with the Legionaries
of Christ in Rome. In her spare time My Thi said she likes to cook, garden and
take walks so she can meditate and reflect.

I’ve always known My Thi as a kind person who exudes a jovial and
peaceful disposition. I also know her to be a devout and faith-filled Catholic woman.
She told me she attends 7 a.m. Mass in the school’s main chapel every morning. Even
though she resides in Norcross, occasionally I see her at the Cathedral of
Christ the King, Atlanta; yet, until recently I never knew that since 1994, she
spends one hour a week praying before the Blessed Sacrament in the adoration
chapel.

My Thi said the innocence and pure souls of Pinecrest’s youngest
students provides an example to her. “The parents give their children to me so
I can look after and care for them, so that’s a big responsibility for me and
all the teachers. But what a blessing and a gift,” concluded My Thi.

Michael Alexander, Staff Photographer

See the story and photos surrounding dedication of Pinecrest Academy’s new John Paul II
Lower School Activities Building in the Oct. 27 issue of The Georgia Bulletin.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Please listen to Barbara Beck tell how her marriage of 50 years to her husband, Earl, began with mutual dislike. It's a great story.

You can read my article in the Georgia Bulletin about the annual Mass honoring couples in 2011 who celebrate their 50th and 60th wedding anniversaries. The story appears in the Oct. 13 issue.

On a side note, my own parents - who marked in September the 45th anniversary of their wedding - were set up by their parents. My dad's mother worked at Syracuse University as did my mom. My grandmother suggested my dad take out her co-worker and the rest is history (Although, as my father tells it, at the proposal, my mom tried to talk him out of it. My mom is mum on the subject.) Anyhoo. I wonder if it was common for parents to play the matchmaker back in the day. How'd your parents meet?

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

I set out for the inaugural Mass of the Pan African Catholic Organization of the Atlanta last weekend.
Wandering around before the service began, I found a choir of women, wearing colorful clothes, practicing for the upcoming Mass. You can hear the choir below.

Here's my lede for the story:

Worshippers recited prayers in five languages as they praised God African-style.

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About Us

The contributors to this blog are reporters Andrew Nelson and Stephen O'Kane, editors Mary Anne Castranio and Gretchen Keiser, and photographer Michael Alexander. Read the Catholic newspaper of the Atlanta Archdiocese at www.georgiabulletin.org